Be My Escape
by She's a Pistol
Summary: Seto meets who he believes is a stupid, spoiled, daddy's girl of a celebrity and wants nothing to do with her but she wants everything to do with him. What will it take for him to see past skin-deep? SetoxOC
1. Meet Me in the Back with the Jack

_I don't care where you live at_

_Just come on boy, let me hit that_

_Don't be a little bitch with your chit-chat_

_Just show me where your dick's at _

_~Ke$ha_

"Mokuba, why are you reading that trash?" Kaiba snapped as he snatched the tabloid magazine away from his brother. The front cover was that god-awful Ke$ha with another girl hanging off her. The headlines read "Coyote Heart flees country after BFF Ke$ha kicks her out!" He shuddered. Useless, stupid drivel.

"Get ready for school," he barked. Mokuba, unperturbed, abandoned his now-empty plate at the table and skipped up the stairs. He knew that his brother was used to ordering people around, so when he sounded harsh he didn't mean it and didn't take it personally.

Seto entered the kitchen and forcefully pitched the magazine where it belonged—in the trash.

When he got to school he learned they had a new English teacher. He hoped this one wasn't as incompetent as the last. Considering he was already fluent in English (and German, and French, and Italian and Latin), he could tell how horribly the previous one had taught the whole school.

The teacher entered that afternoon, last class of the day, and introduced himself as Cameron-sensei. An American last name, and an American accent to boot. So he actually spoke it as his first language. He did roll call and began the lesson by asking how far along the students were, and how much they knew. No one could seem to give him a confident answer, so Seto raised his hand, his smirk foretelling what he was going to say.

That had never happened in the history of his life. Yugi, Joey, Téa, Bakura, and Tristan as well as the rest of the class fell completely silent.

Before Seto could competently and abrasively answer Cameron-sensei's enquiry, the door to the silent classroom slid open.

"JOHN! I finally freaking found you!" The melodious voice spoke English, as if to mock the illiteracy of the class. She looked familiar. Dark, almond-shaped eyes; prominent, high cheekbones and a pointed chin forming a very heart-shaped face under a heavy mop of hair that was obviously dyed a dark cherry red and cut with so many severe layers it looked slightly spikey in its ponytail. A very beautiful girl, but dressed like a punk. Exaggerated hourglass curvy, ripped jeans, and a tight tank top under a leather jacket. Black converse high tops. She would be better looking if she didn't wear so much damn eyeliner.

The teacher was caught very off-guard. "Coy? What are you doing here?" Coy? For a girl's name?

She shrugged a canvas messenger bag off her shoulder and plopped it on his desk, ignoring the class. "Aiko wanted me to give you your clothes for basketball tonight. So you wouldn't have to go home. Traffic has been gridlocked all day. I had to use the sidewalk to get here some of the ride."

John raised an eyebrow. "How did you get here?"

"The Shadow." She grinned like this was a huge joke.

"Oh God I can't believe I couldn't hear you."

"Shut up. It's not like it's a Harley. If I'm idling I can hold a conversation with someone."

Kaiba's patience ran out. "If you're done for the day, at least let us know. I have better places to be, like running my company."

John ignored him and explained, "Class, this is a friend of mine, her name is Coyote. She just moved to Japan, and my wife and I are helping her get…settled."

No. Fucking. Way.

The bell rang. That class went fast. Several students bolted from their seats, pelting Coyote with questions, and Seto took this opportunity to shove his laptop in its case and slip around the idiots he had to waste eight hours a day with.

Once he got to his limo, Roland informed him the traffic was still terrible. Deciding to get comfortable, he opened his laptop. Logging onto the internet, a popup window assaulted him. He'd have to upgrade the firewall.

The window featured Ke$ha's new album, produced by Brave Heart Sound, Coyote's father's business, which granted her the nickname Pop Princess and status as A List Elite. _God damn it!_

A faint rumbling interrupted his internal bristling. It was approaching slowly but steadily and sounded like a car without a muffler. Turning to peer out of the tinted back windows, he noticed a black Ninja sport bike cruising between the other standstill cars and passing his window so closely he listened for the scratching of paint. Apparently the driver was skillful enough to not hit him, even with very little allowance on either side. Ahead it stopped next to a red convertible driven by a woman with a mane of blonde hair. Mai Valentine.

The motorcyclist took its helmet off to chat with Mai and the other occupants in the car: the geek squad plus Duke (honorary geek).

It was Coyote. _She's everywhere!_ _Why?!_

He felt like his brain was going to shut down with this constant annoyance. She was fist bumping everyone and laughing when a police siren sounded. He cracked his window, curious at the face Coyote made when she looked over her shoulder. Her voice wafted through the smog back to his limo.

"Aw shit. Here they come to ruin my fun. You know, John told me everyone here drives like shit, but they always pick on ME. I gotta hide before they chase me on foot. See you at my place later, Mai? Bring these guys, they're cool." And with that, she crammed her helmet back on her head and took off with an obnoxious squeal. She darted for the sidewalk and took off until he couldn't see her anymore.

Reckless.

"VODKA SLUSHIIEEESSS!" Coyote cheered as she jumped down into the living room, fisting two bottles of Grey Goose. Her condo suite was multi-level, with the spacious living area lowered a few steps from the kitchen/dining area and a loft far above their heads plus four other bedrooms. It was the most expensive living arrangements in all of Domino.

Mai followed holding a pitcher of cherry shaved ice and a tray full of double walled plastic tumblers with lids and straws on a tray in the other.

"Um," Yugi hummed. His violet eyes got huge at the suggestion of underage drinking. Tea and the others followed his line of thinking, except for Duke who set a fine example for his friends and was the first to grab a cup and allow Mai to fill it, and Coyote to pour vodka into it. He let her go for a couple shots' worth, and let her know that was his limit.

"Who's next?" she asked exuberantly. Mai mixed her own drink, and screwed the lid on while the four who were not yet partaking exchanged uneasy glances.

"I don't think we should," Tea said nervously. Coyote looked surprised, but smiled.

"It's cool. More for us. There's nothing mixed in with the stuff in the pitcher, it's virgin." Her tone supported her casual reassurance, and the tension broke.

"So, Yugi, you're top duelist in the world, huh?" Coyote said, hoping to break the ice. She was pretty good at being social, being a celebrity does that to you.

"Yeah…" He quickly regained his shyness. She smirked. The shy ones were always the most fun. She had put quite an amount of vodka in her drink, and had started sucking it down to get buzzed as quickly as possible. Life was more fun when you were tipsy. Drunkenly messing with cute amethyst-eyed duelists was the best form of entertainment. She doubted anyone had ever hit on him before. He was adorable! So was his friend, the kid with the white hair. Bakura? It's too bad he had to go home and couldn't come over. She wouldn't mind flirting with him, either. Oh God, they _were_ kids, weren't they?!

Duke interrupted her internal dialog. "Is that you?" he asked in awe, pointing at the huge portrait on the wall. It was just about the only decoration, she had very few possessions, it seemed.

"Oh, yeah. I don't know why I keep it. I don't do a whole lot of modeling. Maybe I'll auction it off and donate the money to a charity or something."

The portrait was a picture of Coyote sitting in front of a window, sunlight hitting her hair and illuminating her tawny skin. She wore only a baggy sweater, and her bare legs were crossed so it didn't show anything inappropriate but implied it. Not much left to the imagination. One hand was tugging on the oversized collar, pulling it off her shoulder, the other trailing between her legs and blocking the view. It was a pretty provocative, pseudo-erotic picture.

"Heh, you guys must think I'm such a tool, the only wall art I have is a massive, slutty picture of myself."

Joey and Tristan were ogling it, their eyes slightly buggy, Yugi refused to look at it but he had turned a deep red color, Tea looked miffed, and Mai was snorting unladylike into her hand.

"Hey, do you have Black Ops?" Duke questioned, finally getting a good look at the 152" flat screen tv mounted on the wall with her X Box underneath. Disks and cases and controllers were scattered around on the floor around the console.

"Duh," she responded good-naturedly. "It's already in the X Box."

"It's HUGE!" Joey gasped at the size of the TV.

"Yeah, it's the biggest they make. Figured if I was going to play video games, I should have a nice TV."

"I like yer thinkin'!"

Tea asked where the bathroom was. Coy told her, then turned her attention back to the boys who were scrambling to set the game up.

"Whoa, what's THAT?" Joey suddenly exclaimed a few minutes into their game, pointing at the silver pole mounted on one side of the room.

"What does it look like?"

"Well, I mean—gaaaahhhhh…" Cue everyone imagining Coyote performing on a stripper pole. While their attention was diverted, she won.

"Hahaha, fuckers!"

In the mermaid-themed bathroom, Tea realized she had gotten her period. She frantically searched through all the drawers in the vanity searching for a tampon. She was sure Coyote wouldn't mind.

The top drawer furthest away from the toilet was loaded with all sorts of orange prescription bottles. She momentarily forgot what she was doing and scanned the names of some of them. Vicodin, Adderall, and Oxycotton, as well as ones she didn't recognize. Whoa! What if Coy was drinking while taking these? Don't all these meds react with each other? No. It wasn't her business. She shut the drawer and remembered what she was looking for and found them in the space under the sink.

When she rejoined the others in the living room she was greeted with the sight of Coyote spinning on the pole she had noticed earlier. She hadn't said anything because she wanted to avoid exactly what was happening before her. It was pretty obvious that she either had taken professional classes, or had spent a lot of creative time on it. Mai whooped and Duke applauded her. Yugi had buried his face in a throw pillow, and Tristan and Joey each had other pillows on their laps, probably to hide their reactions to this display.

Yugi's phone went off, and he bolted out of sight and earshot to answer it. Coy finally lowered herself and detached from the pole as he returned cautiously. When he saw that she was decent, he announced that Mokuba had been the caller and that he wanted to hang out with them at the Kaiba estate.

"You're invited too, Coyote," he murmured meekly. She was pretty tipsy after the drinking she was doing.

"Sweet! Sure as hell beats being here by myself! You want me to follow you, Mai?"

Mai looked stricken. "After what you've been drinking? Hell no! You're riding with us."

"There's no room."

"We'll_ make_ room!"

After five heated minutes of arguing, Duke suggested they cram into the convertible and drop half of them off at his game shop where his Lotus Eterne was. They finally agreed, grabbing their shoes to slip back on as Coy poured herself another drink for the ride.

"Holy sexy!" Coyote exclaimed as she walked into Duke's garage with Yugi. Tristian, Tea, and Joey had gone with Mai, who hadn't waited for them since Yugi and Duke knew where this mansion was.

"Yeah, she's my baby. Custom paint and everything. Butterfly doors…." He went on explaining all the technical details, but she tuned him out and stared at the black body that had a red racing stripe highlighted with a green one. It matched Duke to a tee.

Later they were in the middle of more video games with this Mokuba kid who was pretty awesome. Laid back, funny, beautiful charcoal grey eyes. The door could be heard opening, and someone playing paused the game which paused all of the screens.

The rude guy in John's class was in the doorway, and he was wearing a white trench coat with tails that flared out dramatically and shoulder pads that were ripped straight from Michael Jackson's closet. It was seriously the most ridiculous thing since Gaga's meat dress. Underneath he wore black pants and a black top that must have been spray-painted on. Holy ab definition. Then he turned his eyes on her. They were hard, but crystal blue. Blue eyes always got to her. Always. Even Yugi's pretty purple ones and Duke's emeralds were not a match for Seto's.

"Mokuba, your taste in company gets worse every week. I'm going to have to start keeping tabs on you." He retreated and slammed the door.

Joey began growling, actually growling, and Tristan had to smack him to get him to shut up.

"What the hell was he wearing?" Coy asked a now silent room.

She had to see him again. She _had_ to. He was fucking sexy perfection. She could ensnare him, she was sure. Conquer him. All of the cute guys she had befriended over the day didn't deter her from the ultimate prize: Seto Kaiba's virginity. He had to be a virgin, right? After a quick secret search on her iPhone's google, she couldn't uncover an article about him ever dating anyone. She did find that he was very desireable, but a complete hard ass.

She could look past that.

The door opened just as she was about to exit the room on her way to find "the bathroom" (aka Seto) and lo and behold there he was! She must have telepathy or something and subconsciously called him to her. Or the red string thingy.

He looked furious. "YOU! Come with me!" He grabbed her arm and dragged her out, slamming the door again. A few hallways and floors (and several quick fantasies on Coyote's part on where he was taking her) later and they ended up in a spacious luxury office-type space. The TV was on, paused on the beginning of a Kaiba Corp commercial.

"What is this!" he demanded as he stabbed the play button on the remote. The commercial played through, with Coyote as the focus. She was wearing a suggestive black tube top with long coattails that fell to the back of her knees, pink arm warmers to her shoulders, a black and pink pleated mini skirt and fishnet thigh high stocking on her left leg under an ankle-length black boot, and a thigh high boot on her right. She was over-accessorized with a thick black choker from which a huge blue sapphire lay between her collarbones, and chains layered over her left side and right hip and her ears were full of studs and dangling chains. Very Yugi Mouto punk.

She exclaimed, "It's time to duel!" and activated the Duel Disk on her arm, and drew a card to play the Dark Magician Girl. The hologram sprang to life and spun around a few times, creating a whirlwind of color that morphed into the KC logo and then went back to Coyote, who smiled broadly (and not unattractively) and then declared, "Girls play too!" Then the screen faded to black.

She couldn't for the life of her figure out what he wanted to show her. "Um, yeah, it's the commercial for your Duel Disk…" His whole body convulsed in anger.

"No shit! Why the hell are YOU in it?!"

"You seriously didn't know? Aren't you the CEO?" her tone was incredulous. That just _infuriated_ him.

"Get out!" He flung his arm and pointed to the door. Well this was not going according to her plan!

"You might want to see a shrink about being bi-polar. First you tell me to come in, then you throw me out—"

If Seto Kaiba was the type to hit girls she felt like she was going to find out. Turned out he wasn't, of course. So he can't be all bad. She didn't leave, so he rethought his strategy.

Walking around the side of his desk, he called HQ's sales and marketing supervisor.

"Mr. Kaiba! Are you calling about the five hundred percent increase in sales since yesterday? I was surprised myself! I didn't think the commercial would be that successful!"

Kaiba was silent. His eyes darted from the video phone to Coyote, who had sprawled out on one of the couches, watching the cartoon that had come on after the commercial.

"What do you mean, five hundred percent?" he hissed dangerously.

"Since the commercial launched at 8am this morning, sir, our sales have been doubling every couple of hours. The idea to use Miss Heart was to attract the less-than-sociable boys and encourage more females to play. Industrial Illusions' stock has skyrocketed as well."

Kaiba sat back in his chair. "Very good," was all he could manage before ending the call.

"You should give that guy a raise," came Coyote's suggestion.

"Shut up. Why haven't you left yet?"

"I want to get to know you better," she answered, her eyes still on the TV trying to make it sound casual. He raised an eyebrow.

"I don't care. I have shit to do, get out."

She finally turned to look at him, disappointment clear on her face. "You're no fun."

"You must not know anything about me or you wouldn't be so disappointed. Do I have to call security?"

"Are you single?"

His brows furrowed in a flash of agitation again. "Why the hell is that any of your business? If you're saying you're interested, you can forget it. You get your rocks off by being in the tabloid spotlight. My time is more valuable than yours. I know all about vermin like you. Now get out!"

She suddenly looked like she was going to cry. With a deep breath she stood, and staring at the floor she informed him, "You don't know anything about me, but I bet you wish you did." And she turned to exit but not before Kaiba had some parting words.

"No, that would be your wish."


	2. What You See Is Not What You Get

_When you're burning down, _

_When you're burning down _

_It's the way that you fake it_

_I know it's too late_

_~deadmau5_

Coyote popped her head in by her friends and asked Mokuba where she could smoke. He got up to show her which door she could stand outside of, which it turned out was in front of the house on the west end. She took in the sweeping front lawn and security gate with a watch tower. Hmm. Seto Kaiba lives in a prison he made himself. Fitting.

"Do you remember your way back? Are you okay?" he questioned. She nodded and thanked him, trying to make a show of lighting her strange black cigarette so he wouldn't notice how shaken she was.

When he left her, she leaned against the siding and slid to sit on the cement patio. Fucking Kaiba. She never got rejected. Never.

The sweet smell of the cigarette calmed her, and though she didn't usually inhale the Djarum Black, this time she did. Her friend affectionately called them "lung bleeders" and they were really more of a cigar than a cigarette, but she wanted the pain mixed with the sweet taste the paper imparted on her lips. Just like feelings. You can be so happy but it's always a double edged sword.

Whoa. Way to be emo, Coy.

"What the hell are you smoking?" that cruel voice came from above. She peered up and saw there was a balcony slightly to her left, and of course it was Seto. She looked back toward the lawn.

"Want one?" she called back sarcastically. When he didn't answer she looked for him, to find him gone.

"Creeper," she muttered. She noticed a car driving through the gate, a black BMW. It pulled up to the front doors and the driver got out and let out a girl. She was petite and blonde, wearing a ruffled pink pea coat (it was the first week of October), a black pleated skirt, and black leggings with pink ankle boots that matched her coat. On her face were glasses over big aquamarine eyes, Coyote could see them from where she was sitting, they were so huge. She was quite a ways from the front door, too.

Seto walked out and met her and she stood on tiptoe to meet his bent head and they kissed.

Well for fuck's sake, OF COURSE he was taken! Fucking internet getting her hopes up. Her heart hammered in her chest and her face colored in embarrassment and envy. Something raged inside her, and she promised herself she would get him to realize his mistake and beg for another chance.

She sucked hard at the last of her cig, ashing the last quarter of it in one inhale.

The door rattled, and Mokuba opened it, finding her still out there. He turned in the direction she was staring. She dropped her butt and ground it out with the toe of her Converse.

"I was hoping you were still out here. I have something to show you." He stepped outside and she followed him. They were walking toward Kaiba and his hoe. Coyote hummed in displeasure but didn't say anything. Mokuba, knowing exactly what was going on with her, explained the girl was a child prodigy named Rebecca. She was the same age as him, but her IQ was somewhere near Seto's.

"The fuck?" Coyote snapped. "Didn't take Kaiba as a cradle robber."

"She's really mature. At least, she is now that she's with Seto. I don't think it'll last," he said, to spare her feelings. Mokuba was really empathetic after living with his unreadable brother his whole life. They walked past the duo and stopped in front of the garage.

"Ooookay?" she asked, wondering what he was going to show her.

Mokuba pressed a button on a key ring. The door opened to reveal what was basically an indoor parking garage. "These are our everyday vehicles, the others are in a lower level. The guys told me you like motorcycles."

"Hell yeah!" Coyote shrieked upon seeing the lime green Suzuki Hayabusa inside. She ran over to it, and excitedly asked, "Whose is it?! Does it have a name?"

"Mine, and Green Lightning." He grinned proudly. "Fastest bike in production."

"No shit! It's the only one Ninja's are second to."

Kaiba and Rebecca had long since gone into the mansion.

"So did you show me just to tease me, or are we going for a ride?" she smirked wickedly. Mokuba nervously scratched his head.

"I don't know how. Seto was supposed to teach me, but he's always busy."

"Jackass. I'll fuckin' teach ya. Just let me get a feel for it, okay?" He nodded and gave her his key. She started it up, whooped at the way the engine purred, and walked it out to the huge circular driveway. She started slow, then increased speed until she was almost scraping her knee on the ground going around the fountain in the center of the circle.

"Mokuba!" Kaiba charged outside, ready to scold him when she suddenly righted herself and threw it into a wheelie. Though the move looked reckless, it was very carefully executed and she scooted around on the rear wheel for a few yards then lowered it.

She pulled up to the Kaiba brothers. "The suspension is IMPECCABLE! It has 3 power outputs, I'd really love to put it in A, but for what I was doing I kept it in C. You can clearly tell it's not for tricks, it's strictly for power and speed, my Ninja is much more user-friendly—"

"Get off Mokuba's bike!" Seto barked at her. She finally looked at him.

"You won't even teach him how to ride it! I'm going to! So suck my dick!" His face dropped in shock at her suggestion.

"Please Seto, I asked her to teach me since you won't," Mokuba chimed in quietly. Seto stared at him, very hurt, as though Mokuba had informed him Coyote was going to move in and take his place as his sibling.

"Fine! When you break your neck, don't come crying to me!" He stormed back into the mansion, but unknown to them kept a look out from a floor above them. Rebecca had busied herself in fixing his computer's security, and it actually bored Seto. He watched as Coyote put the helmet on Mokie's head, adjusted it, and showed him all the different functions of the bike. After a few minutes of thoroughly going through this, he mounted it, and she walked him through how to start and shift. In another fifteen minutes of learning his balance he was slowly coasting toward Coyote at the other end of the driveway. A few more passes up and down the driveway she showed him how to lean into turns, and had him go around the fountain as she was doing earlier.

Rebecca came up behind him and hugged him from behind, which he didn't acknowledge. It was getting late, and the geeks were still there. Time to kick them out.

"It's getting dark, Smoky," Coyote mentioned to Mokuba, using his new nickname. He had told her Seto called him Mokie since they were kids and she decided to call him Smoky after his smoky grey eyes and it rhymed with Seto's nickname for him.

"Aw. I'm having so much fun," he moaned. She smiled. The kid was a fast learner.

"I had fun too! Tomorrow's Saturday, maybe I can come over with my bike and we can go get ice cream or something." They rolled the bike back into the garage and closed the door and continued talking while they wiped the body off.

"But, I don't have a license! Not even temps!" he protested.

"They're not going to pull you over, but if it bothers you I'll just pick you up and we can go. I'll let you try my bike then, too." He lit up at this suggestion.

"Really? You'd let me ride your bike?"

"Yeah, but it's really loud so it might disrupt your brother. And he doesn't like me much, so pissing him off might not be a good idea."

"Aw, he's that way with everybody. Nobody likes him for who he is but me, and maybe Yugi. Yugi is really nice like that, though."

Coyote wrinkled her nose. "What about Rebecca? Doesn't she like him?"

Mokuba looked conflicted, like he didn't know if he should tell her something. She waited patiently for him to make up his mind.

"Rebecca's bossy. She's younger than him and has never had a boyfriend before but she expects him to be the way she wants him to be."

"Oh, that's just inexperience," she said offhandedly, hoping he would insist that Rebecca and Seto's relationship really was on the rocks due to her incompetence. She got it.

"No! I think she really hurts him and he doesn't want her to leave him so he just lets her do it. She's his first girlfriend and I think he doesn't want to fail at it. He's got a thing for always being right and having his way."

"Yeah, I noticed he has a boner for himself," Coyote said dryly. Mokuba snorted.

"I never thought of it that way. But he has a good side too, you just have to squint."

She smiled. "You have to squint, huh? Well what if you have to squint so hard your eyes close and you miss everything? If you can't take the bad with the good there's no point. I know a lot about handling the bad. I told your brother I wanted to get to know him better and he scoffed at me and thought I was joking or something."

Mokuba got very interested at that last bit. "You want to get to know him? I don't think he's ever been told that before. Most girls just want him for a trophy boyfriend." Coyote laughed and he stared at her quizzically.

"Smoky, if there is one thing I know, it's that trophy guys are total fucks. I know Hollywood through and through, and let me tell you they are not worth the trip. That's why I wanted to get to know Seto. He's not Hollywood."

The door to the house slammed suddenly and they jumped and turned and no one was there.

"Shit. Did you see if that was Seto?" She didn't want him to know they were talking about him.

He shook his head. "I wouldn't worry about it."

The gang walked through the door next and said goodbye to Mokuba, who apologized for leaving them in the room by themselves. Coyote got into Mai's car this time, everyone else went with Duke, and reminded Mokuba about their date the next day. She handed him her business card and told him to text or call her when he wanted her to come.

"So what did Kaiba want when he pulled you out of the room?" Mai asked as they zipped down the highway.

"He had a rod up his ass about the Duel Disk commercial. Like what the fuck are you doing that you don't even know what your sales department is up to?"

"What was wrong with the commercial?"

"I was in it."

"Get out! He was mad that you were in it?"

"Well based on how he treats me he thinks I'm a fucking loser. Don't really have anyone to blame but myself for that one."

Mai glanced at her sympathetically. Coy was a lot like how Mokuba described Kaiba, no one liked her for who she was, it seemed. Granted, it was hard to tell what was for show and what was real, but a lot of her behaviors were how she self-remedied. Had a fight? Drink. Guy turn you down? Drugs. Dad tell you you're a worthless piece of shit? Cut. She was so self-destructive but under all her bad habits was a soft heart. Unfortunately nobody stuck around long enough to find that out. Besides herself and John, Daniel had been the only one who understood Coy. Even Kesha turned on her, and that girl is on her last leg herself.

"Hey let's get some food and watch low-budget zombie movies on Netflix tonight," she suggested to her longtime friend. Coy smiled a little.

"Sounds good. Thanks, Mai."

The next morning Coyote woke up with Mai in her bed. They must have been wasted. She blacked out pretty early the night before, challenging Mai to a Smirnoff Ice chugging contest. Probably not the best idea.

She groaned loudly, which didn't even disturb her blonde friend. She called a diner and ordered hashbrowns, eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy: the works, to be delivered. After the call she finally decided to leave the bed for some water.

A text popped up on her screen. It was Mokuba. She saved the contact info under "Smoky" and answered his question of how she was: hung the fuck over.

Smoky: aw! We're not going to hang out today then? :(

Me: Yeah we're gonna hang out I miss you little buddy

Smoky: yay! :D

Smoky: seto isn't here. He had to go to HQ. can we go early? Im excited!

Me: yeah let me eat and I'll get Mai up. I have a meeting at 4 this afty just so you know

Smoky: cool! See you soon!

Coyote smiled. Cute kid. She took a Bacardi wine cooler out of her fridge. Best way to cure a hangover is with more alcohol. Mai stumbled into the kitchen holding her head, her hair over her eyes and feeling her way around.

"Sit at the island I ordered breakfast." She guided her best friend to a chair where she promptly dropped her head on the cool surface. A glass of water soon landed next to her head.

"You look like roadkill."

"Shut the fuck up, Coy. How do you think you look?"

"Even worse." Mai chuckled at that and the doorbell rang.

"What do you wanna do tonight?" Mai asked as they popped aspirin and ate greasy hashbrowns and guzzled water. Coy was still nursing her wine cooler.

"I have a meeting for the lawsuit at 4, after that nothing. I want to go out. Like to a club or something."

Mai's eyes lit up. "Karaoke?" she suggested hopefully.

"NO."

She pouted while Coyote continued explaining her plans. "I'm gonna shower and go see Mokuba. I promised him ice cream yesterday."

"Are you using him to get to Kaiba?"

Coyote looked surprised. "Um, actually I hadn't thought of that! That does seem like something I'd do, doesn't it…" she was sad, not angry for being accused of something like that.

Mai changed the subject. "Let's go shopping before tonight, okay?"

Coy smiled. "Let's."

In the shower she noticed how bloated she was. _Well that's what happens when you go on a drinking binge…my liver is a champ! I should stop drinking, if I look like this all the time no wonder Seto thinks I'm disgusting…_

She began brushing her teeth and thought for a bit, and pulled her toothbrush out of her mouth. "Mai! We should go to the rave tonight!"

"Sounds good, dear!" she heard faintly. Mai was probably cleaning up the living room, which they had trashed. A little more bounce in her step, she rinsed her mouth and went to her walk in closet to find a good outfit today. On the off chance she would see Kaiba, she carefully mulled over her options. She picked out a pair of black skinny jeans, a taupe cami, a black, artfully ripped off-the-shoulder top, and leopard print platform pumps. Oh yeah heels on a rocket were sexy. At least she thought so.

Then for later that night, she went through her collection of rave gogo dancing outfits. She had a red and black bedazzled bra that she made herself to match her current dark red hair and a matching pair of booty shorts and fluffy black legwarmers. She briefly thought about what to do with her hair and decided to leave it down but straightened. Better wear the black Pumas for safety, wearing heels while trying to dance was so stupid, as though anything else she did was much safer…Then she figured she could buy more accessories when they went shopping that night.

She left Mai instructions to lock up when she grabbed her motorcycle jacket and got on her Ninja.

Mokuba was sitting inside the parlor (yes, the parlor) by the window waiting for Coy. Twenty minutes earlier Seto came home from HQ with Rebecca and they had disappeared into his room. Three guesses for what they were doing.

He heard a growling noise, and a black motorcycle pulled up to the gate. He radioed the guard shack and told them to let her in.

Upstairs, Kaiba was ranting to Rebecca about the Duel Disk commercial.

"I don't understand. That girl is a MORON. All she does is act like a slut and she gets paid for it. Because she was in the commercial and said a couple cheesy things our stock went up tenfold! How dumb are people?!"

The familiar sound of a loud motor infiltrated the room. "Speak of the fucking devil!" he barked, and stormed out of the room. Rebecca huffed. They hadn't even gotten any clothing off before he had to vent.

"Seto! Forget about her!" she cried. Too late. He was out of earshot.

He found Coyote and Mokuba in the driveway putting their helmets on. Mokuba never left without saying goodbye but this time he may have if Seto hadn't come down.

Coyote was wearing pumps. To ride a motorcycle, she wore pumps. Idiot.

"You're going to kill yourself wearing those," he said, pointing to them.

"Then maybe your stock would increase even more in my memory," she responded cooly.

"That doesn't make any sense!"

"It does. You're just an idiot."

Did. She. Just.

"Come on, Smoky. Let's go. I'm sure we interrupted your brother's statutory rape." Knowing World War Three was about to be unleashed, Mokuba quickly said goodbye to a Seto who was rooted to the spot and hopped on the back of the bike and they took off.

Did. She. Just.

It wasn't bad enough that he questioned being with Rebecca for reasons other than her age, but when you thought about her being fourteen, well…yeah. Her mind was the same as his, but her pubescent hormones did make her the age her body is. And now Coyote is questioning it, one person who has absolutely no right to cast stones when her own life is so fucked up its cross examined by trash like The National Enquirer.

As they shot down the highway and wove in and out of traffic, Coyote mulled over the encounter. _One way to keep me on his mind is to keep him pissed off. Apparently I'm a natural._

"Where are we going?" Mokuba asked, his voice almost getting lost over the air that rushed past them.

"I don't know. Where do you wanna go?"

"Can we go to a bookstore with a coffee shop? I'd really just like to have a chill day."

"Of course we can."

Inside the coffee shop of Mokuba's choosing, they wandered down aisles of books together with their cups: Mokuba with a mocha and Coyote with a pumpkin latte.

"I love fall because everything is pumpkin flavored for like a month," she mentioned.

"I like pumpkin pie," he agreed. They found they had a lot more in common as they picked out books and read the inside of the jackets or the backs and discussion branched off the material.

"You're pretty cool for being six years younger than me."

He grinned. "You think so?"

"Yeah. I wish your brother was as cool as you are, but he'd have to get an exterminator to get that bug out of his ass."

A barista brought their lunches out, hers a tomato and mozzarella basil panini and for him a turkey and Havarti sandwich. She ordered another coffee for each of them, and gave her cash with instructions to keep the change. The barista knew who they were, as did the other patrons who were snapping what they thought were candid pictures with their phones.

Suddenly murmuring erupted as Vivian Wong entered the establishment. She wasn't alone, she had the marvelous company of "Bandit" Keith Howard with her.

Coyote heaved an epic sigh. "Our nice lunch date is about to be shot to hell, Smoky."

"Huh?"

Vivian spotted them and dragged Keith with her amongst the chatter of the other coffeegoers, who were all now taking pictures of them.

"Hey, Mokuba!…Coy," Vivian spat.

"Penny," she responded curtly, annoyed that she called her by her nickname like they were still friends.

Her face dropped in confusion to the name she had given her. "Penny?"

"You're two-faced, worthless, and in everybody's pants, just like a Penny. I thought it suited you more than Vivian."

Vivian's expression turned foul. "That's why Keith wanted nothing to do with you, nasty girl."

"Ha! We never even dated. He told everyone we were together to try to con me into being with him. Sorry, but I wear heels bigger than your nonexistent dick."

The crowed went "Ooohhhh!" and someone even said "Burn!"

Realizing that talking up being with Keith was useless, she shifted her tactic. "I met Keith after I spent last summer with Brad after he dumped you."

She looked doubtfully between the two of them and with every ounce of attitude she could muster, answered, "I have a sandwich, do you want these leftovers, too?" The other people in the room started howling with laughter. Vivian's face flushed and she pulled her last card.

"Using Mokuba won't get you any closer to Seto. Everyone knows that's what you're really after. I heard he was dirty, anyway," she declared with relish, as though Seto Kaiba wasn't good enough for her so if Coyote was into him that was beneath her. The whole place fell silent. Coyote glanced at Mokuba to see if he believed her. His face was curiously blank and difficult to read.

Turning her attention back to dealing with her adversary, she responded incredulously, "Why? Did he sleep with you?"

Vivian lost it and grabbed a fistful of Coyote's hair. "You're a dumb bitch!"

Coyote stood up from her seat, wrenched Vivian's hand out of her hair, and quietly but crisply hissed, "I don't care what you think about me, I don't think about you. At. All."

The store manager rushed up to the exchange and kicked Vivian out and apologized to Coyote and Mokuba, who shrugged it off and told him it wasn't his fault.

"Mokuba, please tell me you don't believe her?" Coy begged.

"How do you know her?" he asked, avoiding the question. Her heart sped up in anxiety. She wasn't using him. She wasn't. Stupid cunt Penny and her stupid mouth.

"We used to be friends. I went to the Duel Monsters event that made her the champion of Asia. We ran into each other at the snack bar, and obviously she knew who I was, and we started talking and she was the kind of person I thought I would like as a friend. She ended up being really fake and used me a lot and finally I told her off. Since then she's always tried to one up me, but for the most part it goes unnoticed. Seriously, though, please don't believe anything she said." Her eyes had started watering. Just fucking great start crying public. Go for it, attention whore.

"Of course I don't believe her, I know how she is."

Coyote blinked and a tear slid down her cheek. Her face betrayed her surprise.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuinely concerned. She reached across the table and grabbed one of his hands and smiled at him widely, which looked weird with her wet eyes.

"Nobody ever believes me," she answered quietly.

As evening came, an email was going around Kaiba Corp. He had caught several of his technical support staff watching a viral video instead of answering the phone in their cubicals.

"What garbage are you watching?" he demanded of one employee he caught. The guy jumped in surprise and slight fear as he rolled his chair away from his desk and allowed Kaiba to watch.

It was the confrontation between Vivian and Coyote. He ordered the guy to turn the volume up and restart the video. It was only three minutes long but spoke volumes to him about the kind of person she was. She looked good that day, too. Stupid heels and all. Not that he'd ever let her know that.

When Vivian accused Coyote of using Mokuba he half expected her to show some sort of embarrassment from being caught. He had already come to the conclusion himself, and was wondering how long she could keep it up for. Her actual demeanor stunned him.

"I don't care what you think of me, I don't think about you. At. All." Her voice was pure venom, she looked like was going to break Vivian after she pulled her hair.

He left the lower floor without another word. The guy got to keep his job for another day. Once in the privacy of his office he located one of the sources of the video. It had been sold to a tabloid website, naturally. This video also included the rest of the personal dialog between her and Mokuba. Whoever the snoop who recorded this was probably rolling in a handsome sum.

Mokuba believed that she wasn't using him. He was naïve at times, sure, but he also had a much better feel for people than himself.

Maybe he could get to know her a little. Or at least keep her around but at arm's length. It could be fun to break someone who was so spirited.

He made a split-second decision and called Mokuba and asked how their day together was. He filled him in on what happened, not knowing that Seto had already seen the video, and said that he got to ride her motorcycle, which he could handle a lot better than his own. Seto made a mental note to buy him a Ninja.

"What are the plans tonight?" he asked lightly.

"Well, she already dropped me off. She had a meeting tonight and then I guess she's going to Club Kiss with Mai." Seto smirked. Exactly what he wanted to know.

"Isn't that a rave?"

"Um, I'm not sure. But she was really excited. When will you be home?"

"I won't be. I have a lot to do. Go ahead and lock down without me, I think I'll spend the night at the office." Not a lie. He did have things to do, just not at the office. He would come back after he completed his mission.

A/N Idk if Seto venting is really IC, but can't you believe what he says at home to Mokuba after being shown up by Yugi? "He beat me at a CHILDREN'S CARD GAME, MOKUBA! HE MADE ME LOOK LIKE A FOOL! I MUST GET REVENGE!" (I love YGOTAS). And as far as the prodigyshipping thing goes, idk where that came from but I wanted Coy to be outraged at his relationship and it fit pretty well.


	3. Dance, Dance

_He's paying for your vodka, you're using what you got_

_Doesn't really want ya but you don't stop_

_'__cause this is what you're here for, and everyone can see why_

_This is the place to be_

_~Ke$ha_

"How was the meeting?" Mai asked as Coyote pulled up and parked next to her convertible.

"Typical beginnings of a lawsuit. My wrist is killing me I must have signed a hundred lines."

They headed into the mall and in under an hour Coyote had bought yards of red sequined netted fabric, a heavy black belt lined with fake red bullets, a pair of red and black fishnet thigh highs and a black pair of thigh high socks. She would use these to embellish her outfit and figured she could wear one of each stocking.

"Hey I found these, thought you could use them with your outfit tonight," Mai said, after emerging from a fetish store and meeting her in the food court.

"Mai, you're the best!" she shrieked upon seeing the choker set. It was a thick black leather collar and upper arm band set all connected with blood red chains. At home she already had elbow length biker gloves and shorter wrist ones that she could mix and wear. She was going to dress like a slut and enjoy the male attention that night.

Once in the club (she was considered VIP so they got in immediately), she spotted an empty stage and pole. She signaled to Mai, who was going to get their drinks, since they had turned down the VIP server. She had ripped the sequined fabric into strips and tied them so they hung off the sides of the belt which now sat askew on her hips over her booty shorts, and crisscrossed more over her fluffy leg warmers. She was one of a handful of people who were dressed in rave outfits, everyone else was casual, so she stuck out a bit, especially when she got on the empty stage. She didn't know where the assigned dancer was, and didn't care. This was a night for her to have fun. She had popped some ecstasy before leaving her apartment and it was beginning to take effect.

What she didn't notice was Seto Kaiba sitting in a VIP booth with a clear view of her stage. He almost didn't believe what she was wearing. He himself was still in his suit from work…and when he wears a suit, of course it's not a traditional tux. Mix his skin tight pants and a form fitting scarlet button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up under a black punk vest with a ton of chains and straps and loose skinny black tie and you have a sex explosion, Seto Kaiba style.

A DJ Satomi song came on, one of her absolute favorite songs. She spun around the pole like a pro and danced on the stage like the other performers.

_There's a place in my mind_

_No one knows where it hides_

_And my fantasy is flying _

_It's a castle in the sky _

_It's a world of our past_

_Where the legend still lasts_

_And the king wears the crown _

_But the magic spell is law_

He watched her as she intoxicatingly moved her body. Her eyes rolled back as she ran her hands over the chains and jewels in her bra to the spandex of her shorts and let the strips of fabric run through her fists. She grinned wickedly like she was deriving sexual pleasure from touching everything. It was so bizarre.

Then it hit him. Duh! She was on drugs!

_Fairytales live in me _

_Fables coming from my memory_

_Fantasy is not a crime_

_Find your castle in the sky_

_You've got the key_

_Of the kingdom of the clouds_

_Open the door_

_Leaving back your doubts_

Mai danced her way back to her friend's stage, and spotted Kaiba watching them.

"Holy fucking creeper much?" she shouted, knowing no one could hear her over the music. He looked kind of ticked. He waved her over, which she accepted because there was nowhere to put their drinks.

_You've got the power_

_To live another childhood_

_So ride the wind_

_That leads you to the moon 'cause…_

_Fairytales live in me _

_Fables coming from my memory_

_Fantasy is not a crime_

_Find your castle in the sky_

As the song ended, Coy looked for her friend and spotted her at a booth with Kaiba. _Holy fucking creeper much?_ She was all fucked up now. This would prove to be GREAT fun.

As she approached their table another guy was walking up to it. His hair color was hard to distinguish in the multi-colored strobe lights and general blacklight darkness, but it was rather fluffy. And from behind he looked right fit. His jeans were tight and tucked into black leather boots and he was wearing a tight black Volcom brand shirt. When she got a look at his face she first noticed his goggles on his head, then saw his eyes were very blue, unmistakable. Blue eyes, blue eyes. Her downfall. His weren't as nice as Seto's, and overall he wasn't as sexy as the frigid CEO, but he was a lot friendlier and she was feeling pretty friendly herself.

"Saw you enter while we were still in line. My mates are getting drinks, I had to come over once I spotted you. How are ya, Mai?" he asked with an obvious Australian accent. Bonus points. Could this be that Valon she had heard so much about? God, Mai!

The entire time she was enthralled with the Aussie, Kaiba's eyes were on her.

Alister and Raphael approached the table. Damn it.

"Kaiba," Alister greeted coolly.

"Alister."

Coy realized everyone knew each other except for her. "I'm Coyote!" she announced, touching Alister's hair. It was very silky, like water. Mai quickly pulled her hand away and Coyote turned on her and began nuzzling her soft, bare shoulder, exposed because her top was a strapless corset.

"She's rolling," Kaiba explained to the three confused newcomers.

"Rolling?" Raphael questioned.

"On ecstasy."

Alister made a motion of understanding and sat on the outer seat of the booth, with Mai between him and Coy. Raphael sat on the other side of Kaiba with Valon on the other end, the cozy booth making a U shape around the table with Kaiba and Coy sandwiched in the middle. Exactly where she wanted to be, and he didn't.

Coy had moved into the booth and was closing in on Kaiba. He was anticipating her touching him, and gave her a half-hearted glare which she ignored, or didn't notice. She was feeling all warm and fuzzy and one-with-everyone.

Of all of the places on him she could feel, she went for his hand, the one that wasn't around a drink. She closed her eyes as she ran her hands over his, taking in how soft the skin was, how long and slender his fingers were. She had a thing for hands when she was sober, but when she was rolling forget about it.

Kaiba was saved by the changing of the song to a techno cover of "To the Moon and Back" originally by Savage Garden. Coy clearly liked this song, as she instantly abandoned Kaiba's hand and climbed on the table in a fluid motion. Everyone grabbed their drinks as she began dancing much as she had been on the stage.

_She's taking her time making up the reasons_

_To justify all the hurt inside_

_Guess she knows from the smiles _

_And the look in their eyes_

_Everyone's got a theory 'bout the bitter one_

_They're sayin'_

_Mama never loved her much_

_And daddy never keeps in touch_

_That's why she shies away from human affection_

_But somewhere in a private place_

_She packs her bags for outer space_

_And now she's waiting_

_For the right kind of pilot to come_

The bass dropped. Mai was watching her very carefully and texting someone with apprehension clear in her features.

Valon also noticed. He leaned over Raphael to get closer to Mai.

"Wha's up?"

She shook her head distractedly. "This song. Tonight will probably not go well." Kaiba looked at her and raised an eyebrow but didn't get any sort of answer to his unspoken question.

_I would fly you to the moon and back,_

_If you'll be, if you'll be my baby_

_Got a ticket for a world where we belong_

_So, would you be my baby?_

Some guy danced over to their booth and held his hand up to Coy, who took it and jumped down from the table and they began dancing together. The stranger was just as messed up as her. They were running their hands over each other and grinding and looked positively ecstatic doing it. Then a girl joined them and they were all over each other.

That's ecstasy for you.

Kaiba told Raphael he needed to get out of the booth, they let him out and he headed for the exit. He wasn't leaving but he needed air. He was beginning to react to the display Coy was making with her new friends.

Outside the line had disappeared, so there were only a handful of people outside who were smoking or making cell calls, or in a few cases, making out. The door opened behind him but he didn't pay any attention as he found a free stretch of wall to lean against.

"You left?" Coy asked, her voice full of unusual worry for what she was on. She grabbed the front of his designer vest and he let her. All part of breaking her.

"I needed air. I'm not leaving."

Her worry evaporated instantly and she broke into a smile. She was so much better looking when she smiled. "I can't believe I met you only yesterday. You were so mean. I just want to be your friend."

"Why?" he implored. "I'm an asshole."

She giggled. "I kind of like assholes. They're my type." Oh yeah? He would see about that.

He afforded her a small smile. It was barely a smile but it changed his face enough that the effect was monumental.

"So what's with that song that was just on?"

He was not prepared for her answer.

"She's taking her time, making up the reasons," she sang, so sweetly and beautifully that everyone on the sidewalk froze and stopped chatting. "To justify all the hurt inside. Guess she knows, from the smiles and the look in their eyes everyone's got a theory about the bitter one. They're sayin' mama never loved her much, and daddy never keeps in touch, that's why she shies away from human affection…"

Kaiba was stunned. Actually stunned. The others around them were awed, but they did not know this coarse, vulgar girl before him like he did. Such a sound came from her? Maybe he didn't know her as well as he thought.

What he had noticed about current pop music was that the melody came from the music and never the voice singing, it was always more like loud talking or shouting. There was no song or tune to it. Her voice was music in itself.

A car pulled up to the curb. John got out of it.

"Coyote!" he breathed as he enveloped her in a hug.

"Our song," she murmured. Kaiba was bewildered. Didn't John say he had a wife? What is this?

"Are you going to be okay?" he asked her, ignoring his student's presence.

"I think so, Mai's here with some of her friends and Seto's here too."

John looked up to Kaiba at her mention of him. He stared back stonily.

"Aren't you married?" he questioned. "I hardly think she'd approve."

He smiled sadly. "Coyote and I go back much further than Aiko and I. She knows how close we are," he answered with the kindness a teacher has.

"How did you know where I was?" she asked, her face still buried in his shirt.

"Mai texted me and told me about what song came on. I knew it would be best to see you now instead of wait like last time."

"I really am a mess, aren't I?" Their conversation continued as though Kaiba wasn't there. He suddenly pushed himself off the wall and went inside, giving them their privacy. So weird. How old was Coyote, anyway? John must have been almost 30.

"Is John here?" Mai asked when he arrived back at their table. He nodded, still a bit perturbed from the encounter. He slammed the rest of his drink, and looked around for Alister and Raphael since Valon and Mai were the only ones sitting. He saw Raphael at the bar and Alister was dancing with some skinny blonde chick.

"What's wrong?" she asked, studying his facial expression.

"She sang to me." He wasn't sure if it was of any significance—until he saw Mai's reaction. She stared at him like he had just announced that he was becoming a nudist.

"What song?"

"That one that was on when you texted John."

"Wow."

He lost his patience. "What the hell is going on? What is the big deal with this song? And she can sing, so what?"

"It's totally not my place to tell you anything, really. But, given her interest in you and your disinterest in her, I'll tell you some of it." His glare was stony. Oh, she has a past, does she? Whatever. He wasn't impressed.

"Coyote doesn't sing. Like, ever. You know who her father is, and what his industry is. He trained her in voice and she can play every instrument she picks up. Part of it is natural talent, but a lot of it was how he trained her." Now Kaiba was paying attention. It was beginning to sound like his own childhood.

"Her dad is a cruel asshole. He forced her to perform, and if she didn't she was punished very harshly. She began to despise everything he stood for, namely music and reputation. He does anything he can to save face in the public eye. So when she turned 18 and legally left his authority, she really let go. She was already doing the stupid shit teenagers do: smoke, drink, party, and she ran away on any occasion she could, but when she hit the legal jackpot she started doing drugs and began stripping at a club. Anything she could to stomp all over her dad's legacy and image. She may come off like she's got everything under control, but she's broken, Kaiba. Absolutely broken. She's become quite a masochist in the past couple of years, which is why I think she's going after you. You're a challenge and you're going to leave her hurting."

He mulled over this. "Where is her mother?"

"She doesn't know her. She abandoned her when she was little."

He inhaled deeply through his nose. He didn't like finding all of this out. It made her a real person with real emotions, and not just someone to conquer. He didn't respect her at all, but he might have begun to understand her. Bad, bad, bad.

Coyote returned. Alister intercepted her, and they began dancing together. Ellie Goulding's "Burn" was playing, and Coyote was actually a good dancer. It looked like a hip hop and dubstep hybrid.

_When the light's turning down, they don't know what they heard_

_Strike the match, play it loud, giving love to the world_

_We'll be raising our hands, shining up to the sky_

She seemed fine. He didn't know what the whole Coyote + John + "To the Moon and Back" thing was, but he didn't want any more insight to her fucked up life.

When that song ended she approached the table and held her hand out to Kaiba. He stared at it.

"I want to dance. C'mon!" It was like whatever had been bothering her outside had never happened. Mai nudged him. He shot her a glare but left the booth.

_Like a rush on the beach_

_At the end of the day_

_When the sand is going to be cold under your way_

_The season fades_

_And you think everything's lost in the waves_

This dance was much more hands-on than hers and Alister's had been, he noticed. She figured he didn't dance, so she was guiding him and he noticed people around them were imitating her moves.

_Like a spark in your eyes_

_So your love will be mine_

_When the sky is going to light and shine_

_You take my hands _

_And I think that time will give me one more chance_

She bent over and flung her hair back as she straightened back up, and some nobody offered her a glow in the dark necklace. She twirled it around her finger, then smoothly slipped it over Kaiba's head. Another stranger untied one of her strips of fabric and danced off with it, but she didn't pay it any mind. Then she put her back to his front and grabbed his hips behind hers since their legs were almost the same length and guided his hips in a move.

She was a stripper at one point.

He will _never_ respect her.

_Do you remember_

_A kiss under the moonlight_

_When it was summer_

_It was love at first sight _

_Can you remember_

_Cause I feel the same way now_

_Until the winter_

_Will see blooming this love_

_Like a dive in the waves_

_I am caught in your love_

_And I'm flying in the clouds above_

_I feel you near_

_And I fear no more the winter 'cause you're here_

The end of their night came when a Ke$ha song came on and Coyote had a meltdown.

"I WROTE THIS SONG AND THAT CUNT STOLE IT! I FUCKING WROTE IT!" she screamed over "Your Love is My Drug." "SHE GOT FAMOUS OFF MY SONG!"

"We are leaving," Mai announced. She grabbed Coyote's shoulders and steered her toward the exit.

She was still protesting. "IT'S ABOUT DANIEL! THIS SONG IS ABOUT DANIEL AND SHE FUCKING RIPPED IT OFF!"

Now there was a Daniel he had to find out about besides all the other things in the overall vague summary which was obviously missing key events. This girl was a clusterfuck.

The bikers joined them outside. "Leavin' already?" Valon asked.

"Coy isn't doing well. I'm gonna take her home. Her bike should be safe for the night. Where are you guys staying?" Mai asked. Kaiba was leaning against the wall again, hands shoved in his pockets and looking down the street which was deserted at 3 am.

"Ah, we were gonna get a hotel, but I don't think tha's happenin' anymore. We stayed a lot later than we meant to."

"Stay at Coy's. She's got three extra bedrooms plus three huge couches. Kaiba? Going home or coming with?"

He was startled, he hadn't expected to be invited. He thought he was going to return to his office, but curiosity got the better of him.

"The mansion is on lockdown until six am."

"So that's a yes? You can follow me." She helped Coy into her convertible where she promptly grabbed her cigarettes out of the glove box and lit one. That weird comforting spicy smell wafted around the boys who were all still standing on the walk.

"Coming down blows," Coyote declared crudely. She stuck her feet up onto the dash and flung her arm out of the vehicle and ashed onto Raphael's boot. Was this seriously the same girl who had sang to him in this same spot two hours ago? Unbelievable.

When they got to the condo, Coyote asked everyone what they want to eat. She ended up putting in a delivery order for a bunch of pizzas and breadsticks and soda.

"I don't cook," she informed them. "And I'm not going to sleep tonight, either. I never do when I roll. But two guest rooms are down stairs, and they share a full bathroom, the other bedroom is next to mine and shares the master bath. Or you can crash sleep over style in the living room and I'll grab pillows and blankets and air mattresses. Up to you."

Mai shoved a water bottle at her and made her drink it. She took it into her bedroom while the others divvied up the sleeping arrangements.

Kaiba sat at the kitchen island while the others explored the space. The walls were all eggshell white and all the rooms were sparsely decorated and furnished. He thought she'd have a place exploding with gaudy crap. The bikers found the portrait and stripper pole in the living room.

"You don't cook but you have a stripper pole? Priorities," he chided Coyote when she emerged wearing yoga pants and a slightly loose Paramore shirt. Her face was clean of the raccoon eyeliner and they looked even bigger. They were the color of dark chocolate.

"Like I give a fuck what you think, the pole up your ass is bigger than the one I dance on."

Before he could retort, Alister entered the kitchen to grab a piece of the pizza that had arrived a few minutes before. "You look familiar. Who are you?"

"Do you watch porn?"

Raphael and Valon choked on their Mountain Dews, Kaiba actually dropped his phone, and Mai cracked up. Alister looked slightly alarmed.

"Ha! I'm fucking with ya. No, actually my name is Coyote Winona Heart." His eyes narrowed, trying to figure out where he had heard that name. "I don't really do anything. I'm just famous because I hang out with famous people and I have a trust fund. My father is the founder of Brave Heart Sound, which is the producing company behind Ke$ha and a bunch of other musicians."

He nodded in understanding. "You're pretty modest for being a celebrity."

Kaiba snorted loudly, wondering what the hell gave him that impression. "You clearly don't know her at all."

While this exchange was going on, Coyote pulled a block of chocolate out of the refrigerator, which was mostly empty save for bottles of various forms of alcohol, and began shaving curls off it into a large double boiler. She melted it with some heavy cream and sugar and poured it into mugs with Baileys chocolate mint liquor.

"Kanpai!" she cried as she passed the mugs around.

"I thought you didn't cook," Kaiba accused as she set the mug that read "Sssh…there's vodka in here" in front of him.

"I like making cocktails and desserts. And pancakes," she added as an afterthought, taking a sip from her own vintage Wisconsin mug featuring cows and wheels of cheese. "I don't consider that cooking."

"I figured you didn't have any real skills."

"No skills? Did you not see me dancing?" she grinned, turning the insult to her favor.

"Oh, that constant seizure you had at the rave?"

"Shut up. At least I'm not stupid."

"I seriously doubt that."

She looked uncomfortable for a moment, why, he couldn't really fathom. "I know random useless things," she said offhandedly. Mai shot her an odd look, and she glared back.

"Like what?" Kaiba prodded. He was very interested in finding out what she thought she knew.

"The state bird of Utah is the seagull."

"Ew! No way!" Valon exclaimed. "Rats wit wings?"

"Yeah, something to do with being a noble bird who helped some guy something, something. I don't exactly remember why. The Wisconsin state dance is the polka."

"What's a polka?"

Coyote burst out laughing. "You said I couldn't dance, you sure as hell don't wanna see me polka. I think it's their state dance because it's pretty much the drunken shuffle."

Kaiba thought about his many business trips to the States. He had seen the redwoods and sequoias in northern California, skied the mountains in Colorado, and of course he had been to NYC where his US headquarters was.

"The Great Lakes," he said out loud. "Milwaukee is in Wisconsin?"

"Yeah, and Chicago is another huge city on the southern shores of Lake Michigan," she named another city she though he'd be familiar with.

"Where are you from?"

"Originally my father's Native American tribe is from northern Wisconsin, the Chippewa, but when I was born he was living in California already."

The conversation had taken a somewhat educational (thus boring) turn, so the bikers and Mai migrated into the living room where Valon tried his luck on the pole. Coyote and Kaiba remained sitting at the island in the kitchen, which she was grateful for, otherwise her come down was going to sink her into depression.

"Do you speak the language?" he asked. He seemed genuinely interested. Of course, any time he can learn something he generally becomes interested.

"Ojibwae? No, not at all. My dad used to, a little, but after his Californication he gave up most of his heritage. I remember going to powwows when I was very young, but I've lost most of my memories of the events. I remember it was fun. I hate how selfish he was, he basically took away my family just because he didn't want anything to do with it anymore."

Kaiba was silent, absorbing more about her life into his memory and reflecting on what Mai had told him at the club.

She stood up suddenly, and poured more of the spiked hot cocoa into her mug. "I'm gonna sit on my balcony," she informed him quietly, walking down the hall with her drink and disappearing into her bedroom, leaving the door ajar. He wasn't sure if that was an invite or not.

Mai entered the kitchen and nuked her mug of cocoa in the microwave. She stole a glance at Kaiba.

"Not what you expected, huh?"

"Huh?"

Her face deadpanned. What did he think she meant? "Coyote. She's not what you thought, is she?"

"She's still a dumb spoiled brat who gets whatever she wants or she throws a royal tantrum."

"Like you?"

He bristled. "No, I worked for what I have. Hers was inherited."

"That doesn't mean she didn't fight for it."

He didn't look impressed. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"She doesn't want anyone to know, but she has a law degree."

"_What?_ You can't be serious!"

She smirked. "Her father shipped her off to boarding school and she began earning the degree early. He always told her she would amount to nothing, and it was her driving force. No one knows about this except Brave, me, and now you. It's a pretty fiercely guarded secret."

"Why would she keep that a secret? How could she have had such a party-hard lifestyle and been earning a law degree while going to high school? I call bullshit."

"She does. Look it up. She had to pull just about every trick she could to get the school to accept her as a current high school student, and it took a lot of hard work."

"She doesn't strike me as the studious type."

"She's stubborn, not studious."

"How could she have this degree and no one know about it?"

"Have you met her? The last thing people are going to look into is whether she has a college degree or not. It's totally unexpected of her."

Kaiba huffed and that was the end of the conversation. Alister disappeared down the hall toward Coyote's room and entered it, closing the door completely behind him. He didn't like the looks of that. Mai studied his face.

"You're jealous," she accused.

"Heh. Spare me," he spat. "If Alister wants a piece of ass I'm not going to stop him."

"Whateverrrrrr, Kaiba," she sang as she went back to the living room where Valon and Raphael were now passed out on the couches. She sighed noisily and retreated to one of the downstairs guest rooms to get some peace and quiet.

He sat for a few minutes, ears straining to possibly hear what was going on in the bedroom, but when he can't make out anything he stood and crept down the hall to stand outside her door. He still could faintly hear murmuring, so he silently turned the handle and slipped into the room.

The room was white with different accents in dark red or leopard. Where leopard alone would have been a tacky tween style, this was somewhat sophisticated. Next to her platform king bed (clothed in a leopard print comforter with crimson pillows and matching canopy curtains) was a white nightstand, upon which resided a small crystal box, containing a blood red velvet cushion. On top of the cushion was what looked like a rock of an engagement ring.

Weird.

Next to the box and the obligatory lamp and alarm clock, was a picture in an ornate silver frame bejeweled with diamonds. The picture was taken at some celebrity event, judging by the white background with sponsor names and red carpet, featuring Coyote and a guy with their arms around each other. She was wearing a sexy, strapless red dress that was short in the front and low in the back, and it looked like her hand was in his back pocket. He was wearing a very fitted blazer with a shirt that matched the color of her dress, and tight skinny black pants with combat boots. He wore hipster glasses and under his slight facial hair you could just make out rings in his lip, two on one side. Spider bites. They looked ridiculously happy, Coyote was smiling with such conviction he wondered who the man was.

Turning around he saw her flat screen mounted to the wall over a collection of dance-themed movies. The "Step Up!" and "Center Stage" DVD series, and the walls were decorated with a couple posters from aforementioned movies. She seemed to be something of a minimalist, besides the bed, nightstand, DVD shelf, and a chaise, there wasn't much else in the room save for a leopard-print cowhide rug.

The real-time Coyote was sitting on the balcony outside the French doors which were open a crack, wrapped up in a scarlet blanket with her feet on the railing crossed at the ankles. Her socks didn't match. Smoke was spiraling away from her, and as he watched the left hand that held the cigarette, he noticed for the first time the gold bracelet that glinted on her wrist.

Her conversation with Alister was mostly small talk, they hadn't noticed Kaiba's presence. He watched her as she tilted her head, listening to Alister's lit. "Serbian?"

He flinched. "Albanian."

"Ah. Sorry! Albanian, or Kosovar*?"

His face cracks in a grin. "Kosovar. I'm surprised you're aware of it."

"Told you I know a lot of useless shit."

"It isn't useless to me. No one understands what I've been through."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-one."

"So you remember the war? I hope you got out of there."

"I did, but not before my little brother died. I lost my parents before him."

Her cigarette fell out of her mouth when her jaw dropped in surprise. She knew he must have been pretty young when the Kosovo War raged, and to lose a younger sibling like that…that war was terrible.

"I'm sorry…" She really did sound genuinely sorry.

"Don't be. It led me to some amazing things…I miss them, but I have to go on for them, too."

Silence fell for a few moments. She turned her head to look at him, and their eyes met. Kaiba watched as they exchanged what was quite possibly a look of infatuation. She smiled slightly and put her cigarette out in an ashtray out of his line of sight, and dropped her hand off the arm rest of her chair, her fingers just inches from Alister's.

Some familiar emotion swelled in his chest and he pushed it back with everything he had. He had felt this before, when he became interested in anything there was no border between it and obsession, and when he felt it slipping from his fingers he could see no sense. He didn't want Coyote, but he wanted her to continue to want him. Was it fair? Absolutely not. Did he give a fuck if it wasn't? Absolutely not.

"So, what brought you to Japan?" Alister asked.

She was silent for a few moments, lit another cigarette and collected her thoughts, trying to figure out how to best summarize them. "I was living with my best friend, we had a fight, and she kicked me out. My dad owns the house but he took her side. I swear he wants to replace me with her. He can go right ahead, they're perfect for each other."

"That's shitty."

"That's my father for you."

"What was the fight about? If you don't mind me asking."

"Well…" she sighed, closing her eyes and bringing the palm of the hand holding the cigarette to her forehead, fingers holding the lit stick away from her hair. "She took a song that I wrote and went behind my back and produced it with my father. She stole it, basically. It was really fucking personal, too, the song. He backed her, and said that I don't have the talent and discipline to make a song anyway. He implied that I don't have the skill to write a song that would make it to the number one slot on the pop charts, which the song did. So I'm suing her back into the poor house. Cunt."

Alister reached out and ran his hand down her arm. She switched the cigarette to the other hand and took his in hers and leaned her forehead against their entwined fingers.

He wanted to interrupt their intimate moment in the worst way. So he did. Because he's Seto Fucking Kaiba.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting something—" Ha, that was the last thing he was.

Alister whipped around in his chair, and glared at Kaiba. Coyote dropped his hand as though it had burned her. Alister's eyes slid to assess what her problem was, and found she was scowling at Kaiba too.

"I'm going to find a place to sleep," Alister quietly informed Coyote. They exchanged another longing look, and he slowly stood and brushed past Kaiba none too gently. Kaiba smirked, reveling in the fact that he had pissed Alister off. The way it should be.

He took his rival's place next to her on the balcony, sliding the chair closer to hers. A thick, leather-bound book sat on the table next to her ashtray. He reached over her and picked it up, reading the gilt-embossed letters.

"The Bible?" he questioned.

"Yes, I've read through it several times. It's the most interesting book I've ever picked up."

"I didn't peg you as a Christian."

"I'm not…not really. I'm not ready."

"For?"

She heaved a heavy sigh. "To leave this stage of life behind. Did you know Leviticus is a book entirely of all the laws God demanded of us before Jesus?"

"I've read it a handful of times myself." She turned to look at him, her irises reflecting flecks of gold as the sun broke the horizon.

"Didn't peg you to be a Christian."

"Are you goading me?"

She looked straight into his eyes. They were inches away from each other. Her eyes slid to his lips. "Maybe…" she breathed.

He made the ever so slight insinuation to lean forward, when she suddenly turned away from him and ground out her cigarette. She hadn't noticed the move he had been about to make.

He told himself it was just to fuck with her.

*Kosovar is an Albanian who lives/is from Kosovo. Ethnically.

A/N THIS STORY IS TOTAL FICTION. I DO NOT OWN KE$HA OR ANYTHING MENTIONED WITH HER. I do not know her or anything. All mentions in this story are totally FICTIONAL.


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